Hey earth muffins! Over the past 6 years(!), I have been on a remarkable journey of self-discovery through natural birth control. While many traditional contraceptive options are available (like the pill, IUDs, etc.), I found that natural methods resonate with my lifestyle better. Over these 6 years I have mastered the basal body temperature and cervical mucus methods; keep reading for all the reasons I continue to embrace these methods after all these years!
Hey earth muffins! If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I use a couple of different natural birth control methods. I have been using my trusty Femometer with the temperature method for many years now. This thermometer takes my temperature each morning, which helps track my cycle. Read this full guide on the Basal Body Temperature method if you are interested in learning how it all works! ๐ Now that I’ve used the Femometer and its app for many years now, I thought I would write a full post of its pros and cons. Let’s jump right into my Femometer app review!
For starters, the app is super easy to use and connect to your thermometer. Once you purchase the Femometer device (affiliate link), you just have to connect it via Bluetooth. Even if you don’t purchase the brand’s thermometer, you can still manually enter temperatures as well. I love that the free version of the app includes everything I need; I know there are other apps that actually make you pay a fee each month just to use it!
Read More โฅHey earth muffins! If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you will know that I monitor my cycle using the basal body temperature and cervical mucus methods. The basal body method is super simple – just take your temperature each morning and track using an app. However, the cervical mucus method takes some time to learn… I have found these methods super insightful on my cycle, so I wanted to share my tips on reading your own mucus. ๐ Let’s jump right into how to read your cervical mucus!
Not gonna lie, I think the word “mucus” is pretty gross. It reminds me of The Princess and the Frog. ๐ BUT, there isn’t anything nasty about your cervical mucus! Healthline defines it as “a fluid or gel-like discharge from the cervix”. Your hormones stimulate the glands in the cervix to produce this mucus, which is why it varies in thickness and amount depending on what stage of your menstrual cycle you are in. To keep track of your own mucus, all you need to do is observe it. When you are about to use the bathroom each day, wipe with some toilet paper before doing your business. It is also helpful to touch/stretch the mucus, looking for characteristics mentioned below. Some people prefer to actually insert a finger to monitor their mucus, but I have found that the toilet paper method is easier (and less invasive).
When you are on your period, you will not be able to see any cervical mucus for obvious reasons. Know that it is there, you just can’t see it!
Once your period is over, you will experience some “dry days”. During these days you will not have any cervical mucus. These days are when you are infertile during your cycle, so the risk of pregnancy is much lower. The length of this infertility period depends on your cycle… But, once you start to see cervical mucus you know you are on to the next stage!
Before you ovulate (and are at your peak of fertility!), your body prepares by releasing cervical mucus. This mucus will be creamy, glue-like, and slightly stretchy to the touch. Depending on your body, this mucus can be white, yellow, and/or cloudy. As ovulation approaches, this mucus will become more clear, watery, and slippery to the touch.
This is the most important stage in this how to read your cervical mucus post! ๐ Once you notice your cervical mucus is the consistency of egg whites, you are ovulating! The mucus will be clear and easily stretchable. To test if it is “stretchy”, place a bit of mucus between your thumb and pointer finger and slowly pull the fingers apart. If the mucus stretches and doesn’t break, then you know you are in this phase of your cycle! If you are wanting to get pregnant, this is the best time to start trying; if you want to avoid pregnancy, this is when you need to be extra careful.
After you are done ovulating, your cervical mucus can either go back to being creamy like the “Before ovulation” phase or just stop altogether to have more “dry days”. For me personally, I have a couple of days of creamy mucus before dry days until my period starts again. During this phase, you have a low risk of pregnancy as you already ovulated in your cycle!
There you have it – a basic guide on how to read your cervical mucus! ๐ While it sounds a bit complicated at first, it is actually quite simple to pick up on. Once you start looking for that egg-white consistency, it is easy to place other mucuses in the correct phase of your cycle. Along with the basal body temperature method, the monitoring of my mucus has given me so much insight to my menstrual cycle. I highly suggest you all do the same! Have you ever tried the cervical mucus method??? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Love,
Jenna โฅ
Hey earth muffins! I was looking through my Femometer data the other night and realized that I have now been using it for over 2 years! ๐ฎ I wrote a 1 year update post about my experience with natural birth control; so, I thought it would be fitting to share my thoughts on natural birth control methods after the 2 year mark. I haven’t posted much about this topic, so I hope you all find this interesting to read about!
If you have been following my blog for awhile, you will know that I use two natural methods: basal body temperature and cervical mucus. I have written in-depth posts about what these methods are in the past, so I highly suggest checking them out on my birth control page if you are interested! ๐ Starting off with the basal body temperature method, this is what I use my Femometer for. The Femometer is basically a normal thermometer; but, it connects to an app on my phone through bluetooth to automatically keep track of my temperature each morning. I saw a YouTuber the other day advertising a natural birth control thermometer that requires you to pay each month. I was laughing about that because the Femometer is FREE (after of course you purchase the actual device for $40 [affiliate link]). In terms of other birth controls, this is much cheaper!
Alongside basal body, I also monitor my cervical mucus. Growing up with the bare minimum knowledge about the menstruation cycle, I never knew why I had discharge on certain days. After embarking on this journey of figuring out my body and natural birth control, I’ve now learned that you can track this discharge to figure out the exact day of ovulation. The Femometer app allows you to track your cervical mucus observations as well, which is awesome because it uses this data to predict your future cycles! ๐
First, I learned that there is nothing wrong with my cycle. Again, I wasn’t taught much about menstruation. Health class taught me that you will have your period every month; so, when that didn’t happen for me, I always thought that something was wrong with me. It was extremely difficult to predict when my period would arrive. This definitely was added stress because there was always the possibility that I would be caught unprepared! After using the Femometer, I have learned that my cycle is completely normal – it just lasts longer than the “average woman”. A typical temperature arc looks like this:
For me personally, I have added days in the time frame after my period but before my fertile days. This happens every single cycle, so the app has adjusted to this and can now accurately predict my future cycles even though mine isn’t considered an “average” one. When I used period tracker apps in the past, it would never adjust for this… So I love that I can now accurately predict it!
Using natural birth control methods for 2 years has also taught me a lot about my body and my cycle. The visuals in the Femometer app are incredible; there are so many ways to look at your current and past cycles – even options to compare temperature charts across them! When my body is feeling off or my mood isn’t what it usually is, the Femometer app usually has all the answers I need. Plus, I know the minute I wake up if my period is going to start that day, which is a pretty incredible feat. I cannot tell you how amazing it feels to know my body inside and out! ๐
People are judgmental for sure! Natural birth control isn’t taught in health class or suggested by doctors. I’ve found that there is a stigma around it because people don’t understand it and are quick to judge. There is evidence that natural methods are very accurate, but no one knows about this unless you research alternatives. I personally chose the natural route because 1) I didn’t want to put extra hormones or chemicals into my body and 2) I didn’t want any side effects (becauses news flash you won’t get any of those with natural methods!).
It’s safe to say that natural birth control does take time to understand and to learn about. If you want to pop a pill each morning and just forget about it, then great! Do that. But, if you don’t, there are still options for you! It takes time to collect the data and time to learn about your cycle; but, after two years I can say that I can accurately predict my cycle by myself without any outside hormones/IUDs/patches doing it for me. As a female, it is truly empowering.
Love,
Jenna โฅ
